From the very second The Dark Knight begins, audiences’ attention will undeniably be kept hostage by the big screen. Christopher Nolan, along with his A-list cast, has created an action-packed, sure to be blockbuster, with an outstanding amount of elements that near perfection: the acting is right-on (particularly Heath Ledger as The Joker), the plot remains captivating for the entire 152 minutes, the sound design is entrancing and the special effects are questionably unrivaled. For the first time ever, IMAX cameras were used to shoot scenes, and they proved to be nothing short of spectacular. It is truly a challenge to find anything The Dark Knight lacks or fails in, and it deserves to be viewed as it intended to be: in an IMAX theater.

As proven in Batman Begins, writers Jonathan and Christopher Nolan decided to create the superhero from another angle: an ordinary man with extraordinary talents. He isn’t superhuman or endowed with comic book-like powers. He is billionaire Bruce Wayne, with limitless top-secret resources and gadgets, controlled by his nurturing drive to protect Gotham City. Unfortunately, since Batman’s appearance and exposure to Gotham, he has not just ridden the city of certain evils, but has also provoked even worse problems. It begs the question: is Batman really the best thing for Gotham?

Contrary to most superhero-type movies, The Dark Knight’s plot is somewhat complicated and contains a considerable amount of subplots, which actually makes it all the more interesting; it gives leeway for a number of action sequences, never once seeming redundant. Audiences can potentially get lost at times, which may be mildly deterring, but hardly enough to be off-putting.

The general storyline of The Dark Knight is about various mafia families and conspirators working together to control one united sum of money, overseen by an Asian business mogul, Lau (Chin Han). A more immediate threat, however, is the crazed lunatic known as The Joker (Heath Ledger), who intercepts the mob’s financial holdings. He has no purpose or incentive, only to kill Batman, and his actions are difficult to control because he destroys for no rhyme or reason. By involving himself with the mob, he attempts to bring Gotham’s worst villains together to bring down its hero.

Meanwhile, a promising threesome has come together to clean the city’s streets: new district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), also known as the White Knight; police lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman); and, of course, Batman (Christian Bale). However, The Joker monopolizes on Batman’s weakness: his true identity and strict moral code. By continuing to murder innocent people, The Joker publicly announces his plan to continue his rampage until the real Batman reveals himself. The people of Gotham turn on Batman, doubting any true hero would ever let a secret identity overpower the necessity to stop the killings.

Bruce Wayne, now living in a lonely and cold penthouse apartment after Wayne Manor was burnt down, takes part in actions that are more of his cover and less of his true self. He hosts lavish parties, entertains slews of beautiful women and indulges in an ostentatious amount of spending. Bruce is more himself as Batman, but uses his billionaire persona to protect his secret identity. Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), his true love and one of the few people aware of his alter ego, has become involved with Harvey Dent, a more realistic and less threatening hero of Gotham. His politics and successes prove that Gotham might not need Batman, but a more conventional savior. Batman hopes this to be the case, for it will forever rid him of his violent and isolating character. Predictably, that’s easier said than done, and the dichotomy ultimately ends up making matters worse--not to mention provides the merciless and chaotic Joker with more ammunition. Gordon, Dent and Batman attempt to work as a sort of team, but The Joker’s infiltration on their bond proves to be catastrophic.

Aesthetically, The Dark Knight contains elements that are mind-blowing. Flipping an entire 40-foot tractor-trailer front to back in the banking district of Chicago is unprecedented. The camera crew from the award-winning company Ultimate Arm allowed gyrostabilized remote control cameras to support the massive weight of the IMAX cameras. The new Bat-Pod tops the vehicle in Batman Begins, and Batman’s new costume finally allows for some movement, per Bruce’s request: “I need a new suit. I’m not talking fashion, Mr. Fox, so much as function.” Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) simply replies: “You want to be able to turn your head…” And so it was done, created by costume FX supervisor Graham Churchyard. Just to get an idea, the suit in Batman Begins had three main components--the suit in The Dark Knight has more than 100.

Perhaps the most anticipated element, however, was the performances. Academy-award winning actors such as Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox) and Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth) contribute their always dependable strong performances, as does Christian Bale as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast, replacing Katie Holmes as Rachel, which may seem odd, but is actually a more suitable fit. Aaron Eckhart also enters the series as a new character, Harvey Dent/Two-Face. In addition to them, though, is the film’s most powerful draw: Heath Ledger as The Joker.

In wake of his recent death, certain viewers may flock to The Dark Knight for Ledger, and they will not be disappointed. The Joker, quite the opposite of Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman, is very dark, a little frightening and his sense of humor almost makes Nicholson’s Joker seem like a circus clown. When he is not on-screen, there is always an underlying excitement for when Ledger will return. It will not be entirely preposterous for an Oscar nomination, despite Knight being an action film. Ledger’s presence is haunting, both as The Joker and as the actor. It only makes it that more tragic for the world to have lost such a versatile, talented star.

So whether you are going to see the first-ever IMAX scenes in a feature film, the jaw-dropping special effects, the well written and original plot or even just Ledger’s performance as The Joker, disappointment will not prevail. Comic book fan or not, The Dark Knight is topnotch and a unique spin on the non-superhero persona of Batman, which is unquestionably better than any rendition before.

The Dark Knight is now playing in theaters nationwide.

For more information, visit thedarkknight.warnerbros.com.